Purple Disco Machine

Review: In honour of Record Store Day 2019, Sweat It Out has pressed up this vibrantly coloured 12" featuring reworks of tracks from Purple Disco Machine's 2017 debut album, "Soulmatic". It's a formidably floor-friendly affair all told. David Penn kicks things off with an unflinchingly heavy version of "Music In You" - all sweeping orchestral breakdowns, mesmerizing vocoder vocals, short piano loops and thunderous house beats - while funky house pioneer Mousse T offers up a suitably elastic and rubbery disco-house version of "Encore". Over on the flipside, Superlover goes all "French touch" on a Cassius/early Daft Punk style version of "Play" (itself a cover of Planet Patrol's electro-era classic "Play At Your Own Risk) before Carl Cox offers up a bouncy, electrofunk-meets-techno take on "Body Funk" that's propelled forwards by restless drum machine cowbells.

Review: The inexorable rise of Purple Disco Machine continues, as his wholehearted tribute to machine disco originators Hot Streak, Patrick Cowley and Giorgio Moroder - the throbbing, anthem-like "Body Funk" - is given a deserved single release. The producer's own "Extended Mix" is quickly followed on side A by a punchy Claptone remix that places the original's sampled vocals over a suitably massive backing track high on piano stabs and big room house grooves. Over on side B, the mighty Carl Cox re-imagines the cut as a cowbell-driven chunk of techno/electrofunk fusion, while Dom Dolla douses it in mind-bending electronics, thrusting analogue bass and glitchy, hard-wired house beats.

Review: German DJ/producer and Dimitri From Paris doppleganger Purple Disco Machine has been on a fine run of form of late, offering up a fine mix album on Glitterbox and a swathe of peak-time-ready singles. His latest workout is another all-action anthem that should delight both disco and house fans. "Emotion" sees him place re-sung vocals from a well-loved disco classic atop a bustling disco-house bed of Giorgio Moroder style arpeggio bass, Nile Rodgers-esque guitars and Italo Disco-aping synthesizer motifs. Over on the flip he joins forces with pal Lorenz Rhode to offer up a P-funk flavoured boogie-house onslaught rich in throbbing synthesizers and tasty talk box vocals.

Review: Club Sweat bring back one of their big hits from last year for another bout - surely one of the biggest releases on the label to date, in fact. Purple Disco Machine struck gold with "Dished (Male Stripper)" not least thanks to that nagging synth hook, and now there's a full-fat vinyl release bolstered by some essential remixes. The first is from Illyus & Barrientos, who tastefully dub the track out without losing that big room sparkle. Then Tuff City Kids inject a little festival fever into the track with some zesty leads they wield so well. The B-side packs a full eight-minute extended version of the original for those who just want the hit to last even longer.

Review: It would be fair to say that there are few bigger contemporary disco producers than Purple Disco Machine. His particular brand of revivalist disco offers a near perfect balance of 1970s style instrumentation and contemporary dancefloor chops, thus delivering timeless tracks that guarantee good times for all those who hear them. "In My Arms" is a great example of this. It's authentic - walking bassline, swooping Salsoul strings, gospel-influenced piano riffs and so on - but also boasts builds and drops more associated with rush-inducing house anthems. Of the two versions it's the celebratory, full vocal "Extended Mix" that we'd recommend, though the instrumental take is pretty tidy too.